A person who lives by his or her individual conscience and universal ethical principles has reached which stage and level in Kohlberg's theory?

• A. Conventional, Conventional
• B. Highest, Postconventional
• C. Postconventional, Highest
• D. Preconventional, Postconventional

Answer: (B)

In Kohlberg’s framework, the highest level of moral development is reached when someone reasons from internalized universal ethical principles rather than external rules or social approval. The description “lives by his or her individual conscience and universal ethical principles” fits this top level, where morality is guided by principles such as justice, rights, and human dignity that apply to all people, even if they conflict with laws or peer pressure. The final stage within this level is often called principled conscience, the point at which reasoning is abstract and principled rather than concrete or obedience-based. So, this describes the highest level of Kohlberg’s theory, at the postconventional level and the most advanced stage within it.